Gopher blasting startles Fallbrook neighbors

FALLBROOK - A property owner blasting gophers on his Live Oak
Road property Friday startled some neighbors who thought they were
hearing gunfire, a sheriff's lieutenant said.

The company hired by the owner had notified the San Diego
Sheriff's Department of the blasting in advance so there would be
no concern on their part, Lt. Kirby Beyer said. The reports to 911
came about 10:15 a.m., but Beyer said it was simply gopher
blasting.

Gopher blasting refers to using subterranean explosives that
cause immediate death and therefore "does not cause protracted
suffering to the rodents," according to a Web site from a company
that offers the service.

State Department of Fish and Game officials said that because
gophers are considered rodents, people do not need special permits
or licenses to eliminate them. The state code section allows people
to take a rodent in any manner, at any time.

Sheriff's Sgt. Cliff Johnson said the blasting has been going on
for several weeks at one of the avocado groves on Live Oak Road,
but some days the sound travels farther. The Sheriff's Department
has had occasional calls about it, he said.

"Most of the callers have just reported hearing explosions or
gunshots," Johnson said. "It can sound pretty loud, especially if
it's bouncing off the hills or echoing … it's louder than a
gunshot."

The pest-control worker also explained to deputies that
sometimes a shorter gopher tunnel would create a louder boom, he
said.

Johnson said gopher eradication is necessary for farmers, and
it's common in the spring.

"They're a terrible problem, a constant problem for farmers,"
said Eric Larson, director of the Escondido-based San Diego Farm
Bureau. "They can absolutely kill trees, if not controlled,
vegetables, vines, and flowers."

Property owners may choose to control rodent populations by
blasting, gassing, poisoning, trapping, or shooting them, he
said.

A farm could be destroyed by gophers if the rodents are not
controlled, he said.